When WRAL TechWire ran a story recently about The Startup Factory’s exploration of raising a new fund, Lizzy Hazeltine was quick to remind The Skinny that there were THREE people working at TSF, not just two as the story noted.

WTW focused on TSF co-founders Dave Neal and Chris Heivly. Hazeltine, who joined TSF as a venture associate in 2014, pointed out to yours truly that she was involved in the fund-raising, too.

That kind of feisty attitude is worthy of admiration. Good for her. She spoke up – and the story was corrected.

Now, Hazeltine has a new job – at least temporarily. She’s interim editor at ExitEvent, filling in for Laura Baverman who has taken maternity leave. (Note: ExitEvent is owned by WTW’s parent CapitolBroadcasting.) Her byline has appeared before, but she’s stepped a level higher with Baverman taking care of a new son.

Trained as a multi-media journalist at UNC-CH, she brings a variety of experiences to the role.

“My path from journalism through anthropological fieldwork, media, higher ed, and the private sector have proven how handy the combination of action and listening can be in business development, community outreach, and relationship building,” hazeltine notes in her LinkedIn profile.

“My work connects people with opportunity in many forms, whether people in early-stage software companies seeking investment, communities developing entrepreneurial ecosystems, or people curious about rebuilding bikes. In the past, that’s also included students, university faculty, and indigenous weavers in Peru.”

The Skinny reached out to Hazeltine shortly after TSF’s decision to stop pursuing new funds and shut down over time. Will she start her own business someday? What was it like working at TSF?

  • You had said the fund-raising effort was a full-court press so my assumption is that you personally really wanted the funding to happen. How disappointed are you about what happened?

Indeed, it was, and without question, I wanted us to close the fund and roll out the plans we’d laid. The momentum was thrilling. I still believe in the power of profit motive to accomplish big things and what we designed for Fund II, so leaving that specific plan behind is tough.

That said, my disappointment is tempered by the momentum I’ve seen in communities outside of the Triangle and the optimism I have for what will happen for the state’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The kindness and support I’ve received in the last 24 hours [post-shutdown decision] buoys me up, too.

  • What are your plans?

After Dave, Chris, and I wrap up the loose ends at TSF, I plan celebrate to what we were able to accomplish with our founding teams, generous mentors, and the whole entrepreneurial community, even as I start to think about the kinds of operator roles I’m interested in pursuing next. There may be a little travel in my future, too.

  • Are you already pursuing other opportunities and if so in what areas?

I’m continuing my side hustle/passion project, Waltz Night, but that’s not news. In terms of a full-time, real-deal next step, I’m not settled on any one thing yet. I just started some energizing conversations that I’m looking forward to continuing. I’m grateful to be in the Triangle right now, where there is so much growing.

  • What did you find most fun and also most challenging at TSF?

I found that the two often overlapped. Cold emailing VC’s, and better put getting their attention, when I first joined was the initial challenge, and pitching this fund to partners and LP prospects was the latest, but both were fun. I found that I loved tackling a fundraising strategy alongside a TSF founder or tweaking our curriculum to better teach the nuance of interviewing customers.

I’m a long bike rides as a hobby kind of person, so maybe that explains why I think about fun and challenges existing in the same moment.

  • How can your TSF experience help you going forward?

When I joined TSF, I was consciously jumping into the private sector after a stint in higher ed. I’m trained as a multimedia journalist with some production under my belt, to boot, so I added another lens to the ones already in my toolkit. My experience at TSF armed me with insights into fundraising, business structures and tactics that bolster what I already knew about lean startup methods, program design, building relationships, and project management.

All that’s tactical, though, and the bigger themes of resilience, persistence, and openness are the kinds of lessons that I hope have made me a better teammate and a better person. Working closely with Dave and Chris also taught me more about the nuances of being a excellent leader and colleague, and more 70’s rock trivia than I ever knew I needed to know.

  • Any thoughts of starting your own business?

Of course, but not right now. Founders have a contagious energy that I love being around, and it’s part of what made my time at TSF so magical. That said, I don’t have a problem I’m dying to solve at the moment, and I’ve seen how much resolve a founder needs to be successful.

  • What appeals to you as an entrepreneur?

I’m not sure I classify myself that way, but sure, I can take that tack. On the industry side, I get excited about tech that helps humans do what we’re best at doing. On the organizational level, the entrepreneurial mode appeals to me because it can maximize purposeful work and cut down on bureaucracy. I love nimble organizations.